Sitting Pretty and Confident v. 1

Self-made being defined as having become successful or rich by one's own efforts.

What sort of efforts does one need to make in order to become successful and rich?

Every one of those 860 millionaires surveyed above probably has their own personal formula, but I think that in all the research I'm doing, that there are basic ingredients 

• Identifying what drives you to succeed and why (hint: it's not making money)
• Not just trading your time for money, but leveraging your other assets to make your money
• Being able to "win friends and influence people" with ease
• Managing your energy and not just your time
• Smart planning
• Consistency
• A strong personal brand
• Why should you care if you're self-made or not? Because why not! If they can do it, you can do it too.

If you're wise enough to invest in a professional photography, you're clearly committed to your career and passionate about being your best. You understand that having professional portraits done isn't just about having nice pictures of your face; it's about leveraging yourself as a "brand." And as we know popular "brands" can make big bucks.  

So to put it simply, a well-done profile photo is a very effective tool to help you get to the top (faster).

These 7 books will also be  particularly powerful,  when it comes to refining those basic ingredients of success and wealth-building in your life beyond fantastic portraits.

1. The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel by Brendon Burchard ​​​​​​

When it comes to understanding why we do what we do, the best book I've found to date is this one. My own strongest drive is "Challenge" and my most valued drive is "Contribution"

2. The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime by MJ DeMarco

It's no fun waiting until you're in your 60's to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. This is a fantastic read on why the traditional model of 'slow lane' wealth-building does not work if you want to be rich when you're young.

3. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss

This is a good one as well if you want to figure out how to generate massive wealth without having to trade your time for money in order to do it. It actually is possible to make money while you sleep!

4. How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by Leil Lowndes

I've read this one twice now it's so helpful. Leil Lowndes gives great advice on how to interact with people in meetings, over dinner, at social events. My camera is usually my tool of engagement, so this was great for all the times I was around strangers without my 'prop'.

5. The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

This is a life-changer for sure! For the longest time, I always thought my problem was time management (there are only so many hours in a day and only so much of me to go around!). But after reading this book, I learned that it's about managing my energy more effectively in order to manage tasks more effectively.

6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

This is a classic and still a best seller. I think consistency is the real secret to success.

7. Start Late, Finish Rich: A No-Fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age by David Bach

Do you have a helpful tip or suggestion for us that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear them! Leave them in the comments below or send me a personal message. Do you like this article? Share with your audience!

SP Photo Studio, is a full-service provider for your private and business image branding needs. Our philosophy is based on our commitment to helping ordinary people do extraordinary things on camera.

We work with our clients to grow their vision with a defined approach, creating engaging image content for social media network. We provide the tools, tips and talent to empower you to be 'camera ready', whenever and wherever. Would you like a free consultation on how to take your personal branding images to the next level? Schedule a 15 minute consultation right now.